About 70% of the earth's surface is a blue ocean, and about 80% of the life on the earth is in the ocean. The ocean provides abundant wealth and endless resources for human survival and development. Navigation is the basis and premise for human beings to know, utilize and develop the ocean. Whether engaged in marine fishing and aquaculture, or engaged in marine passenger and cargo transportation, carrying out marine national defense and military activities, conducting marine scientific investigations, developing seabed oil, mineral deposits and other resources, and carrying out marine sports and leisure activities, all human activities in the ocean from ancient times to the present are inseparable from navigation, that is, people sail, berth and work at sea.
It is of great practical significance to review the development of China's navigation history and the progress of navigation science and technology, show the present situation and prospects of China's navigation and navigation science and technology, carry forward patriotism and scientific spirit, and inspire us to work hard for China's transformation from a maritime power, a maritime power and a maritime power.
China has a long history of navigation. As early as 7000 years ago in the late Neolithic period, the ancestors of the Chinese nation could already use fire and stone axes? Chopping wood is a boat, chopping wood is a boat? . In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, with the gradual birth of wooden sailboats, large-scale maritime transportation and maritime wars appeared. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, Xu Fu's Qin fleet sailed eastward to Japan, and the ships of the Western Han Dynasty sailed westward. During the Three Kingdoms, the Jin Dynasty and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Wu Dong's fleet toured Taiwan Province Province and Nanyang, Faxian returned from India, and the Chinese fleet sailed for the Persian Gulf. From the Tang and Five Dynasties to the Song and Yuan Dynasties, China's maritime industry flourished in an all-round way, and the Maritime Silk Road reached the shores of the Red Sea and East Africa. Because of the great breakthrough in navigation technology marked by compass navigation, China entered before the west? Quantitative sailing? Period. From Yongle period of Ming Dynasty to Xuande period, Zheng He, a great navigator of China, led an ocean-going fleet and visited Asian and African countries seven times. This great voyage not only pushed China's ancient navigation career to the peak, but also erected a monument that will never go down in history in the whole history of human navigation. However, with the gradual conservative and rigid feudalism in China's later period, the further development of China's maritime industry and the continuous progress of marine science and technology were seriously hindered, and China's maritime industry entered a period from prosperity to decline. Although the Westernization Movement was carried out in the late Qing Dynasty, 1865 set up Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau to develop the national shipbuilding industry, 1873 set up China Shipping Merchants Bureau to develop the national shipbuilding industry, and 1909 set up the Department of Shipping Administration in higher industrial schools to train national senior navigation professionals, which was difficult to achieve the general trend.
Looking back at the history of world navigation, as early as 2500 BC, people in ancient Egypt sailed to Lebanon along the Mediterranean Sea, and Phoebe in ancient Greece discovered the British Isles in the 4th century BC. The compass invented by China was introduced to Europe by Arabs and Egyptians around14th century, and the navigation activities of European navigation countries made great achievements. 87 years after Zheng He's voyage to the West, in 1992 1 14 1492, Columbus crossed the Atlantic to America, 1497, Portuguese arrived? Gamma bypassed the Cape of Good Hope and sailed to India. 15 19, Portuguese Magellan sailed west around the world and was also recorded in the history of world navigation.
The progress of navigation science and technology The glory of China's ancient navigation history depends on the progress of China's ancient navigation science and technology. According to Hanshu? According to Yao Wenzhi, there were 136 volumes of nautical astrology books in the Western Han Dynasty, such as "Stars in the Sea", which indicated that astronomical navigation had been developed. In the first year of Xuanhe in the Northern Song Dynasty (119), "Zhou Ping can talk" said: Sailors know geography. They look at the stars at night, the sun during the day and the compass in the dark. ? This is 6 1 year earlier than that mentioned in 165438 "On the Essence of Matter" in Britain that navigators point to the north with floating magnetic needles. In the Waterway Classic of Ming Dynasty, a volume of Waterway Guide Map based on manuscripts of Yuan Dynasty was preserved, which is the earliest contemporary nautical map of China that can be seen at present. Zheng He's seven voyages to the West in the early Ming Dynasty are the epitome of China's ancient advanced navigation technology. Zheng He's navigation skills are mainly recorded in Zheng He's Navigation Chart. The original name of this chart is "Zibao Shipyard Sailing from Longjiang Pass to Foreign Countries", which is the earliest ocean navigation chart. Among them, the graphic records reflected the advanced technology of geographic navigation and astronomical navigation in China at that time. According to the research of navigation historians, the large-scale seagoing ships in Zheng He's fleet are called? Treasure ship? , its? The largest is 44 feet long and 18 feet wide? ; There are nine masts and twelve sails; It shows that the shipbuilding industry in China in Ming Dynasty was strong.
In the development of human society, European countries took the lead in entering the capitalist era from the feudal era, and all kinds of science and technology advanced by leaps and bounds. New materials, machinery, electric power, electronics, control and information technology are gradually applied to navigation, forming modern and modern navigation science and technology. /kloc-The development of ironmaking industry in the 8th century led to the first iron wooden ship built in 1787 and the first iron ship built in 184 1 year. 1858 steel appeared, and 1866 began to build ships with steel. As far as ship power is concerned, 1769 developed a two-way steam engine, and 1783 developed a steam-powered steamboat. 1876 internal combustion engine was successfully developed, and 1903 internal combustion engine ship was successfully manufactured. /kloc-the development of machinery manufacturing and the combination of astronomy in the 8th century led to the invention of 1730 nautical sextant, the discovery of electromagnetic waves in 1888, the invention of wireless telegraph in 1895, and then wireless communication was used on board. 1935 invented radar, and then in 1937 it was used for ship detection, positioning, navigation and collision avoidance. 1957 launched the first artificial earth satellite, 1964 developed a satellite navigation system. With the continuous progress of navigation science and technology, navigation has gradually developed from technology to science and technology, from navigation era to motorboat era, from geographical navigation and astronomical navigation era to electronic navigation era.
In modern history, China's navigation technology lags behind that of western developed countries. Since the founding of New China, especially since the reform and opening up, the maritime industry has made great progress. But in the aspect of navigation science and technology, it is mainly to learn, draw lessons from, introduce, digest and absorb the navigation science and technology achievements of western developed countries for our use. There are few original scientific and technological achievements in navigation in China, which is not suitable for the situation that China's marine transportation industry and shipbuilding industry rank among the top in the world. Comrade Deng Xiaoping pointed out? Science and technology are the primary productive forces? . Comrade Jiang Zemin pointed out? Innovation is the soul of a nation's progress and an inexhaustible motive force for a country's prosperity? Therefore, we should deeply realize that only by independently developing advanced marine science and technology can China truly become a world maritime power.
Navigation service and support system Since wireless telegraphy was used in ship-to-shore communication, shipping companies, shore-based navigation services and management departments began to influence, assist and control the navigation activities of ships through wireless communication.
1) radio navigation warning system.
Navigation warning system and navigation notice are used to timely and accurately inform all ships of any changes that have occurred or will occur in the relevant sea areas and waters, which may affect the safety of navigation and operation, so as to take appropriate measures or maintain vigilance to ensure the safety of navigation and operation of ships. Coastal radio stations specially set up by maritime safety administrations in various countries issue such announcements by radio, which is called radio navigation warning. 1977 the international maritime organization (IMO) formally established the world radionavigation warning system. The system divides the world into 16 regions and broadcasts navigation warnings. Each area is coordinated by a country, which is responsible for checking, sorting and editing the collected data, and then broadcasting navigation warnings throughout the area.
2) Ship route system
In the past thousands of years of navigation practice, the ship's navigation route is decided by the captain himself. In order to prevent ships from colliding in fog, 1859 implemented the traffic separation system for the first time in the world, and 1875 adopted the system of avoiding floating ice. Up to now, there are more than 100 ship routing systems in the world. The route setting system is a single route or multiple routes and/or route setting measures aimed at reducing maritime accidents. It includes traffic separation system, two-way route, recommended route, no-fly zone, coastal navigation zone, circular road, warning zone and deep-water route, and these route setting measures can be combined according to the actual situation.
3) Ship reporting system
The global ship dynamic reporting system was first established by Lloyd's Company of Britain in the early18th century at important locations around the world to collect ship dynamic data. Starting from 1930, some shipping companies stipulate that ships going to sea must report their position, course and speed to the company regularly. From 65438 to 0958, the United States Coast Guard initiated the establishment of an automatic reporting system for merchant ships to improve ship search and rescue. The International Maritime Organization adopts the current ship reporting system, requiring ships to provide, collect or exchange information through radio reports for search and rescue, transportation services, weather forecast and prevention of marine pollution.
4) Ship traffic service
Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) is a service system implemented by the competent authorities, which is responsible for improving maritime traffic safety, improving traffic efficiency and protecting the marine environment. It ranges from providing simple information to widely managing ship traffic in ports or waterways, and its functions include data collection, data evaluation, information service, navigation assistance, traffic organization and supporting joint actions.